Fans of TV’s globe-trotting race game can now test their strategies and stellar cluesolving prowess right here in Sacramento! Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) is preparing to host the 4th annual Race for the Ring on July 14, 2012. Hundreds of Sacramento area residents will return for this exciting, location-based game where clues and answers are exchanged via text messages. Participants race from location to location on bike, scooter or foot throughout Downtown and Midtown solving riddles and interactive challenges. Points are awarded for each correctly answered question or properly completed challenge and the team with the most points at the end wins! Prizes include jewelry

On the day of a home visit, mother-daughter duo Maggie and Ellie Keenan have brainstormed topics that Ada Cooper, 83, will find interesting to talk about. The topic for this particular visit was the Korean War. “Her husband served in the military, so she may have a lot of input on the recent events happening right now,” said Maggie, a kindergarten teacher at Barbara Comstock Morse Elementary. Maggie and Ellie Keenan are volunteers for one of the newest programs at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS), the Senior program. This program matches volunteer families and socially isolated seniors with the assistance of Eskaton’s Talking Listening Caring Telephone Reassurance Program (

Brian Geary's day usually begins at 4 or 5 AM. But despite his early wake up call, Geary was all smiles at the Oak Park Community Center food distribution on a chilly November evening. “Brian is smiling all the time,” said Food Program Director, Eric Kintzel, “His terrific attitude is absolutely infectious and makes for a delightful atmosphere.” Looking unfazed by the cold, Geary explains that his east coast roots have prepared him for much colder. “This cold is not bad,” Geary said smiling. Born and raised in Indiana, Geary said that he has always felt attracted to helping people and drawn to volunteering. “I feel compelled to give back because I‟ve been fortunate throughout life and

Lace up your shoes, Sacramento -- the 18th annual Run to Feed the Hungry is this week! Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) encourages you to be part of Sacramento's Thanksgiving tradition. The 5K and 10K fun run and walk launches from Sacramento State, 6000 J St., on Thanksgiving morning. With 30,000 participants expected to be involved, you are guaranteed a morning of fun with family and friends. Every week up until then, we will interview a new Run to Feed the Hungry runner. We will ask a handful of different past and present runners the same questions. We have found that people are motivated by many different reasons to be involved in this incredible event. There is still

On Monday, November 21, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS), a local non-pofit organization serving families in need,  will host its annual turkey and holiday food distribution. On this special day SFBFS will serve thousands of Sacramento families experiencing hardship this season. There are no zip code restrictions to receive holiday food, only a limit of one per household. This year's distribution is different from previous years in that SFBFS will offer one longer day of service instead of two days of morning-only service. In an effort to assist working families, SFBFS will begin service at 8am and go well into the late afternoon/early evening. Turkey distribution will begi

As poor people are starving and searching possible ways to obtain food, thousands of generous individuals are uniting together and doing their best to help by donating and taking on a grueling kilometer path. “I have been doing this run for many years,” said Ginelle Esperanza. “It feels like I am making a difference not just because I am donating, but because I am running. Seeing the smiles on others really gets to me because I think they smile because so many people run for them and gather together.” Run to Feed the Hungry is an event that has been popular to many local families and non-local families for about 17 years. The event starts on J Street in Sacramento and the racers can choo

Lace up your shoes, Sacramento -- the 18th annual Run to Feed the Hungry is only a couple weeks away! Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) encourages you to be part of Sacramento's Thanksgiving tradition. The 5K and 10K fun run and walk launches from Sacramento State, 6000 J St., on Thanksgiving morning. With 30,000 participants expected to be involved, you are guaranteed a morning of fun with family and friends. Every week up until then, we will interview a new Run to Feed the Hungry runner. We will ask a handful of different past and present runners the same questions. We have found that people are motivated by many different reasons to be involved in this incredible event.

The morning air is crisp and cool. The signs of fall are all around and one of the most exciting and busiest seasons is fast approaching for Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. KCRA and Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services are hosting the 4th annual Turkey Drive on November 18, 2011. Last year, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services collected 7,053 turkeys thanks to the generous support of local residents. The need is even greater this year and the goal has been set to collect 8,000 turkeys from individuals, families, classrooms and local businesses in a single day. The Turkey Drive will take place at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services' Oak Park facility (3333 Third Ave - near

Lace up your shoes, Sacramento -- the 18th annual Run to Feed the Hungry is only a few weeks away. Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) encourages you to be part of Sacramento's Thanksgiving tradition. The 5K and 10K fun run and walk launches from Sacramento State, 6000 J St., on Thanksgiving morning. With 30,000 participants expected to be involved, you are guaranteed a morning of fun with family and friends. Every week up until then, we will interview a new Run to Feed the Hungry runner. We will ask a handful of different past and present runners the same questions. We have found that people are motivated by many different reasons to be involved in this incredible event. The

Lace up your shoes, Sacramento -- the 18th annual Run to Feed the Hungry is only a few weeks away. Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) encourages you to be part of Sacramento's Thanksgiving tradition. The 5K and 10K fun run and walk launches from Sacramento State, 6000 J St., on Thanksgiving morning. With 30,000 participants expected to be involved, you are guaranteed a morning of fun with family and friends. Every week up until then, we will interview a new Run to Feed the Hungry runner. We will ask a handful of different past and present runners the same questions. We have found that people are motivated by many different reasons to be involved in this incredible event. The

It's that time again... we're nearing Thanksgiving, which means it's almost time for the 18th annual Run to Feed the Hungry! This event, taking place every Thanksgiving morning, is the largest fundraiser of the year for Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS). The event launches in front of Sac State and winds through East Sacramento, with a 5K course and a 10K course. Over 28,000 people participated in last year's event, making it the largest Thanksgiving Day race in the country. One of the ways this event is made possible is through the support of over 500 volunteers on the morning of the event as well as the days leading up to Thanksgiving Day. Not much of a runner of a walker,

The spookiest month of the year is here! Get in the spirit by attending opening night at Corbett's House of Horror. Today, October 11, bring canned goods to receive $5 off admission. Corbett's House of Horror will pass on the canned goods and also donate $5 of each admission ticket directly to Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services! Check out www.sacramentohaunt.com for additional information. Please note, they only accept cash. Corbett’s House of Horror is located at1120 Galleria Blvd, Roseville CA 95678. Conveniently located right across the street from the Galleria, nearby many shops and restaurants. Enjoy plenty of free parking in a well-lit lot. Don’t worry about rain, if it’s stormi

Groupon, the popular daily deals and discount site, selected Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services as TODAY’S FEATURED CAMPAIGN from October 3-October 6, 2011! What does that mean for Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services? This is a wonderful opportunity to share our mission with a wider audience in Sacramento. Not everyone in our community is aware that Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services distributes fresh fruits and vegetables 16-20 times per month at various locations around town to combat hunger, as well as poor nutrition. What’s offered by Groupon? G-Team, the local philanthropic arm of Groupon, is offering a deal of $13 to purchase four days worth of healthy groceries for a

Volunteers often bring more than just their time to Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS). Many bring their talents, their professional training, their enthusiasm for serving others and their desire to make an impact in the community. T. Jackson is a volunteer at SFBFS who brings all of the above on a regular basis. She has been volunteering in the PlayCare and Youth Academy programs at SFBFS’ Saca Community Learning Center since April 2010. On Friday mornings, T. can be found surrounded by ten to twenty toddlers, sitting on the floor in PlayCare, playing guitar and singing. Her educational background in music therapy helps her to create a special bond with the children who are i

Julia Siegle came to California just 2 years ago and has already established herself as one of the most active volunteers in the Youth Academy program at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS). Born and raised in Seattle, Julia later moved to the East Coast where she lived in Boston, MA and Newport, RI, earning her Bachelor’s Degree in English from U Mass and spent time as a preschool teacher. Julia is an avid snow skier and loves the outdoor adventures and proximity to the mountains that Sacramento provides. However, when the snow melted in the spring months, Julia found herself with more free time on her hands. This allowed her to pursue volunteering and was intrigued by a posti

In the Adult Education program at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS), volunteers sit side by side with the clients they are assisting, often developing rapport and trust with one another. Volunteers are essential in creating a welcoming, nonjudgmental learning environment. Two of the friendly volunteers one may encounter in the Adult Education program at SFBFS’ main facility in Oak Park are Leslie Marria and George Langley. This dynamic duo has been carpooling from Folsom to Oak Park for the last two years to volunteer. But don’t call them tutors. “I don’t consider myself a tutor,” says Leslie. “We’re doing a lot of mentoring.” George agrees. “We don’t teach people, we help the

The third annual Race for the Ring is coming to Sacramento on May 21, 2011. This text messaged based treasure hunt on bike through downtown Sacramento is sponsored by Rogers Jewelry Company and directly benefits programs at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. Teams of two will pedal, scoot and wheel their way through downtown Sacramento guided by text message clues in search of over $35,000 in prizes. Each week leading up to the event, we will interview someone who is involved in the race to find out why they are racing for a reason. This week’s interview is with Tessie Ernst, who has worked for the Xerox Corporation for 24 years and is currently on a one year Social Service Leave of

Charlotte Hansen is one of those “can’t live without her” volunteers. She has been volunteering at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) in the Mother-Baby program for just over one year, and the program staff cannot imagine the program without her. “Her commitment to the Mother-Baby program is fantastic,” says Lorena Carranza, Mother-Baby program manger. “She does it all.” Indeed, Charlotte wears many hats in the Mother-Baby program. She can be found on Mondays and Thursdays in the Mother-Baby clothing area, sorting baby clothing, hanging items, talking to new mothers and babies, training volunteers, and more. You may also find her sitting down with a new parent in the mentoring

The third annual Race for the Ring is coming to Sacramento on May 21, 2011. This text messaged based treasure hunt on bike through downtown Sacramento is sponsored by Rogers Jewelry Company and directly benefits programs at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. Teams of two will pedal, scoot and wheel their way through downtown Sacramento guided by text message clues in search of over $35,000 in prizes. Each week leading up to the event, we will interview someone who is involved in the race to find out why they are racing for a reason. This week’s interview is with Jackie Goree, the Database Manager at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.  She has been an employee with SFBFS for a ye

What do Joe’s Crab Shack and Cinco de Mayo have in common? Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services' fundraiser night, of course! Please come out and join the fun on Thursday, May 5 between 5:00pm and 11:00pm. You can enjoy a delicious meal while helping raise funds for a worthy cause. Simply bring THIS FLIER with you to dinner and present it to your server. It is that easy. At the end of the night, 10% of your evening’s total will be donated to Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. We included three coupons on this flier so you can post a few at work, give one to a friend or share with a fellow diner. Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services has been making a difference in our community si